Bid Writer Jobs in Flexible Location

Do you feel passionately about improving the life chances of children, young people and families? Are you excited to drive growth of the charity’s research and design consultancy by identifying and securing new opportunities for funding and impact? Do you have the skill and experience to lead our responses to six figure competitive bidding processes?

Dartington Service Design Lab is an internationally respected social research and design charity focussed on using evidence to help those working with children and young people have a greater impact. We have over 60 years of experience working across the public and voluntary sectors to improve the lives of children and young people. 

We are seeking an individual experienced in developing bids in response to tenders and other partnerships. The role will lead the end-to-end bidding process, from identifying and nurturing suitable applied research, service design and consultancy opportunities and invitations to tender, developing compelling proposals (involving the wider team as required), managing bid submissions, adherence to compliance requirements and deadlines, and supporting the team with preparation for interviews. Successful candidates will have at least three years’ experience in a bidding or business development role, within the social research, consulting or charity sector. Key responsibilities are outlined in the job description document.

If we’re going to design impactful supports for children and families, we need to ensure our team is inclusive. Dartington Service Design Lab encourages applications from all backgrounds and strives to have a team with diverse skills, experiences and abilities. We are committed to progressing an anti-racist approach in all areas of our work. Join us if you are passionate about social justice. 

Don’t meet every single requirement outlined in the Job Description? Studies have shown that women and racially minoritised groups are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single requirement. Dartington Service Design Lab is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace for everyone. So, if you’re excited about this role but your experience or qualifications don’t match the job description exactly, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might just be the right person to help us achieve our impact for children and young people. 

The successful candidate will enjoy a varied and independent role - working with great colleagues and partners on a wide range of business development opportunities. The work is rarely routine. We are often experimenting and trying to innovate with those who we work with. We value empathy and collaboration and a focus on using evidence for social good.

As a team, we operate remotely across the UK. The successful candidate may be based anywhere in the UK. Our staff tend to work from home or when appropriate, together in local co-working spaces, and normally, every quarter we meet as a whole team in our beautiful Devon office.

The post is subject to an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service certificate and pre-employment checks will be undertaken before any appointment is confirmed.

We're looking for an experienced Proposal Writer, High-Value Audiences to join our fundraising team on a 24-month contract. You will play a critical role in the Fundraising Growth programme: an internal change programme that will strengthen and scale fundraising capabilities across the National Trust so that we can create a step-change in our fundraising income - essential to delivering the Trust’s new 2035 strategy. 

To achieve this goal, we need to change the way that we fundraise and the way that we think about fundraising at the National Trust. We know that there is an exciting opportunity for us to diversify our income by developing products and propositions for new audiences, deepening our relationships with existing audiences and ensuring our systems, processes and people capabilities are as good as they can for fundraising. By doing this we can better support our work to conserve nature, beauty and history. Ultimately, the more funds we can sustainably generate, the more positive impact we can have for people and for nature. 

This is a particularly exciting time to join this part of the Fundraising family as the National Trust is preparing its organisational strategy for the next 10 years. This new strategy will require a refresh of existing propositions and provides a compelling platform to connect with new audiences by telling powerful stories about the exciting work and positive impact that can be achieved in next chapter in the National Trust. 

Internally you'll be known as Fundraising Development Manager. 

What it's like to work here

The Fundraising team is dynamic, ambitious and focused on making things happen; playing a vital role in enabling the National Trust to deliver its purpose. Our team sits within the Support and Revenue Directorate, which brings together our supporter-facing income streams from Membership to Fundraising through to our Commercial teams.

Your contractual location will be our head office in Swindon, and you’ll be expected to attend the office. However, there is flexibility on where you are based at other times. You will be required to work at a National Trust location for 40-60% of your working week. This will be discussed in more detail at interview. 

Please aware that this role will involve some travel to work with National Trust colleagues and visit our projects & properties across the UK. 

What you'll be doing

You’ll be writing compelling and engaging text, which sets out a clear case for support for a broad range of projects for high-value audiences, made up of Corporations, Major Donors, Grant Makers and Trusts & Foundations. You'll produce creative and attractive proposals using photos, graphics and charts, refining large volumes of content into one persuasive document using judgement to decide the most powerful and tangible information for inclusion. 

You’ll have a broad range of stakeholders across National Trust with whom you'll have to prepare clear, concise and compelling written material in support of fundraising projects. You will build and maintain strong communication with project development teams and fundraisers. Requiring you to engage with, and ask critical questions of, technical experts and senior leaders to develop proposal content. 

You’ll be working in a proposition development team and will work closely with your team members on the development and authoring of propositions. You will be working in a fast-paced and deadline-driven environment where priorities can change according to adjustments in fundraising strategies. You will need to plan time efficiently to manage multiple requests and large-scale proposals. 

Who we're looking for

For this role, we’re looking for someone who has:

• Excellent written communication skills and ability to convey information to a range of audiences in a clear, inspiring and confident way.
• Excellent grammatical and proofing skills. 
• Experience of researching content for communications. 
• Strong organisational skills with demonstrated ability to prioritise effectively and to successfully manage competing deadlines whilst maintaining attention to detail. 
• Ability to analyse, translate and present complex research and ideas into written form, in line with audience requirements. 
• Knowledge and understanding of fundraising and philanthropic motivations and of engaging with donors/prospects. 
• Ability to use initiative to work independently but also to refer issues to others when appropriate.

The package

The National Trust has the motto ‘For everyone, for ever’ at its heart. We’re working hard to create an inclusive culture, where everyone feels they belong. It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too.

• Substantial pension scheme of up to 10% basic salary
• Free entry to National Trust places for you, a guest and your children (under 18)
• Rental deposit loan scheme
• Season ticket loan
• EV car lease scheme 
• Perks at work discounts such as gym memberships, shopping discount codes, cinema discounts
• Holiday allowance up to 32 days relating to length of service, plus holiday purchase scheme, subject to meeting minimum criteria.
• Flexible working whenever possible
• Employee assistance programme
• Free parking at most Trust places

Job Advert: Trusts & Foundations Manager (maternity cover), Fundraising Team, Wonderseekers

Job details

Hours: between 30 - 37.5 per week. Flexibility will be considered working a minimum of 30 hours per week / 0.8 full time equivalent. Salary and pay will be adjusted accordingly.

Work pattern: Weekdays, exact work pattern flexible and can be discussed at interview

Salary: £35,000 per annum (if working 30 hours per week, actual salary £28,000)

Contract and start date: 12 month fixed-term maternity cover (with possible extension) starting w/c 9 December ideally (flexibility possible)

Line manager: Head of Major Gifts, Fundraising Team

Responsible for: Fundraising Officer

Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays. Option to buy/sell some leave and gain additional days for continuous service after four years. The post holder is not expected to work bank and public holidays.

Location: Wonderseekers HQ, Eastleigh with regular attendance at Winchester Science Centre, Winchester

Benefits: Cash health scheme, life assurance, buy/sell annual leave, long service holiday bonus, café and shop discount, free tickets to WSC and partner attractions, family friendly leave, wellbeing policy, mental health first aiders, cycle to work scheme, financial loans, flexible IT, casual dress, staff events, free parking, pension contribution, inflationary pay rise and more.

Application deadline: Tuesday 12 November 9am

Interviews: Provisionally 19, 20 or 22 November

Please contact us if you’d like to arrange an informal chat or have any questions about the role before applying - see website for contact details. 

The Role

The Trusts & Foundations Manager (maternity cover) will be an experienced and accomplished Trusts & Foundations fundraiser, who will secure £500k+ in grants towards the Team’s £3.5 million projects income target, enabling the Charity to deliver its exciting capital and activity Masterplan.

Skillful at assimilating and interpreting complex information to craft compelling, high-level funding proposals, self-motivated and tenacious, the post holder will manage a personal portfolio of T&Fs, researching, developing and submitting high-quality, personalised five and six-figure funding proposals to contribute towards individual project targets.

Working as part of a small Team of experienced T&F and major donor fundraisers, the Trusts & Foundations Manager will play a key role in developing and managing the funding pipeline, delivering exceptional donor cultivation and stewardship to secure the income needed and establish a strong and loyal donor base for the Charity.

The post holder will have impeccable interpersonal and presentation skills and be comfortable representing the Charity and engaging with senior internal and external stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Charity to achieve its strategic goals by generating the fundraising income required to deliver core activity and development works
• Work with the Major Gifts Team to build, manage and implement the funding pipeline, conducting research, writing briefing notes / cultivation plans, maintaining CRM records and producing regular progress reports
• Manage a personal portfolio of T&Fs: conduct research, develop and implement bespoke cultivation plans, prepare and deliver high-level funding proposals and provide exceptional stewardship
• Work with colleagues across the organisation to monitor project progress and help colleagues to understand and support the fundraising process
• Deputise for the Head of Major Gifts as required
• Support the Head of Major Gifts and the Head of Impact & Learning to plan and deliver project impact reports for funders
• Manage the Fundraising Officer, supporting them to manage their own portfolio of T&Fs, reviewing and providing constructive feedback on funding applications and ensuring that they provide efficient administrative support to the Major Gifts Team

Person Specification:

Experience and Knowledge

• Experienced T&F fundraiser with a good working knowledge of the sector
• Demonstrable success of securing five and six figure grants
• Expert bid writer
• Experience of managing senior stakeholders
• Basic understanding of logic / theory of change models and social impact measures
• Experience of using a CRM system
• Knowledge of charity financial governance and gift management processes
• Experience of business planning and managing a budget
• Some experience of people management is desirable

Skills and Abilities

• Exceptional written communication skills with the ability to write clear, concise, accurate and persuasive funding applications
• Well-organised with the ability to conduct systematic research and assimilate complex information
• Confident presenter / orator with the ability to build strong internal and external stakeholder relationships
• Ability to review and critically analyse others’ work
• Good budgeting and data analysis skills
• Goal-oriented and tenacious with the ability to work efficiently to manage the funding pipeline and achieve targets
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong internal and external stakeholder relationships
• Proficiency in Office 365

Ready to Apply?

When you are ready to apply, please submit your application through our recruitment portal https://www.wonderseekers.charity/vacancies.

Job Advert: Head of Major Gifts, Fundraising Team, Wonderseekers

Job details

Hours: 37.5 per week. Flexibility will be considered working a minimum of 33.75 hours per week / 0.9 full time equivalent. Salary and pay will be adjusted accordingly.

Work pattern: Weekdays, exact work pattern flexible and can be discussed at interview

Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 per annum dependent on experience (equivalent to £36,000-£40,500 based on 0.9 FTE)

Contract: Permanent

Line manager: Director of Fundraising, Fundraising Team

Responsible for: Trusts & Foundations (T&F) Managers and freelance T&F Fundraisers

Holiday: 25 days per annum plus bank holidays. Option to buy/sell some leave and gain additional days for continuous service after four years. The post holder is not expected to work bank and public holidays.

Location: Wonderseekers HQ, Eastleigh with regular attendance at Winchester Science Centre, Winchester

Benefits: Cash health scheme, life assurance, buy/sell annual leave, long service holiday bonus, café and shop discount, free tickets to WSC and partner attractions, family friendly leave, wellbeing policy, mental health first aiders, cycle to work scheme, financial loans, flexible IT, casual dress, staff events, free parking, pension contribution, inflationary pay rise and more.

Application deadline: Tuesday 12 November 9am

Interviews: Provisionally 19 and 20 November

Please contact us if you’d like to arrange an informal chat or have any questions about the role before applying (see our website for email address)

The Role

To deliver on our new strategy and exciting capital and activity Masterplan, Wonderseekers is growing its Fundraising Team. The Head of Major Gifts is a pivotal new role within this team: working closely with the Director of Fundraising and managing a small team of experienced Trusts & Foundations (T&F) fundraisers, to achieve an initial target of circa £3.5 million within the next two years.

Accomplished at assimilating and interpreting complex information to craft compelling, high-level funding proposals, the post holder will lead and coordinate project fundraising campaigns to achieve the individual project targets, ensuring the highest quality of funding approach and donor stewardship across the Major Gifts Team.

In addition to managing and supporting the in-house T&F Managers and freelance T&F fundraisers to secure five and six figure grants, the post holder will develop and manage their own portfolio of major T&Fs and high net worth individual (HNWI) donors contributing circa £1 million towards the overall initial target. Working with the Director of Fundraising, they will play a lead role in establishing a strong and loyal major donor base of organisations and HNWI for the Charity in anticipation of future funding needs.

The post holder will have impeccable interpersonal and presentation skills and be comfortable representing the Charity and engaging with senior internal and external stakeholders at the highest level.

This is an exciting opportunity for a senior fundraiser to become an influential member of the Charity’s Leadership Team. Following achievement of the initial target, the Head of Major Gifts will play a strategic role in designing and implementing future fundraising campaigns (for “business as usual” and special projects) to support the Charity’s strategic plan and maximise its social impact.

Key Responsibilities

• Support the Charity to achieve its strategic goals by generating the fundraising income required to deliver core activity and development works
• Be an active member of the organisation’s Leadership Team, attending strategic planning sessions to keep abreast of the Charity’s future projects pipeline, identify funding opportunities and help colleagues to understand and support the fundraising process
• Deputise for the Director of Fundraising as required
• Lead and coordinate agreed fundraising campaigns, including developing project cases for support, researching/building funding pipelines and writing cultivation and stewardship plans
• Manage a personal portfolio of T&Fs and HNWIs, conducting research, developing and implementing bespoke cultivation plans, preparing and delivering high-level funding proposals and providing exceptional stewardship
• Manage and support the Major Gift Team, coordinating the team’s fundraising activity, ensuring that approaches, applications and stewardship are in line with fundraising regulations, the Charity’s Fundraising Promise, are of a consistently high quality and provide regular progress reports to the Director of Fundraising
• Work with the Director of Fundraising, other members of the Senior Leadership Team, Trustees and the Charity’s Volunteer Leaders to develop and grow a HNWI funding pipeline, conducting contact mapping and other research, producing briefing notes, working with senior stakeholders to develop and implement cultivation plans and organising information / cultivation events
• Work with the Head of Impact & Learning to plan and deliver project impact reports for funders

Person Specification:

Experience and Knowledge

• Experienced T&F fundraiser with a good working knowledge of the sector
• Experience of managing and cultivating T&F and HNWI prospects#
• Experience of securing and managing six and seven figure grants
• Expert bid writer
• Knowledge of logic / theory of change models, social impact and how to measure it
• Experienced people manager
• Experience of business planning and managing a budget
• Experience of working with senior internal / external stakeholders
• Knowledge of charity financial governance and gift management processes
• Knowledge of Donorfy or other fundraising CRM is desirable

Skills and Abilities

• Exceptional written communication skills with the ability to write clear, concise, accurate and persuasive funding applications
• Confident presenter / orator with the ability to pitch to an audience of senior stakeholders
• Ability to assimilate, analyse and interpret complex information
• Ability to review and critically analyse others’ work
• Systematic and tenacious researcher
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to build strong internal and external stakeholder relationships
• Good budgeting and data analysis skills
• Strategic thinker and goal-oriented with the ability to work efficiently to manage the funding pipeline, achieve targets and contribute to the achievement of strategic goals
• Proficient in Office 365

Ready to Apply?

When you are ready to apply, please submit your application through our recruitment portal https://www.wonderseekers.charity/vacancies

Overview and Summary

We are seeking to appoint an Advocacy and Communications Officer – a vital role for our 70-strong coalition during an exciting period for our work. 

CJC is a broad coalition of NGOs, trade unions and law firms, encompassing a range of political and thematic priorities, from workers’ rights and modern slavery, to climate and the environment, global justice and the rights of women and girls, children and indigenous peoples. But what brings us together is a shared commitment to ending corporate impunity for human rights abuses and environmental destruction: in line with this, collaborative work for change alongside our partners is at the heart of all we do.

We’re at a crucial point in a campaign which spans advocacy, public communications and engagement with businesses, and seeks to ensure the implementation of a ‘Business, Human Rights and Environment Act’ in the UK. This legislation would help end corporate abuses of human rights and the environment, and make it easier for victims to access justice. At an exciting juncture for the campaign, the successful applicant will play a central role in shaping it and driving it forward, working alongside our civil society partners to do so.

Please note, applicants must hold the right to work in the UK to be considered for this role.

CJC is an equal opportunities employer committed to refining anti-oppressive practises in its work. We particularly welcome applications from black and minority ethnic candidates, who are under-represented in the business and human rights sector. 

See attached document for a detailed JD and person specification

What we’re looking for

The successful candidate will be highly motivated and have a real commitment to campaign for change on corporate accountability for human rights abuses.  You’ll be enthusiastic and full of ideas, able to juggle multiple deadlines and tasks, while being ready to show initiative and take ownership of your area of work. 

You don’t need to be a policy expert on our issues, but you’ll need to have the ability to rapidly gain an understanding of what we work on and why, and advocate for these issues to Parliamentarians and civil servants.

Facilitating joint work alongside our coalition partners is fundamental to everything we do, so we’re looking for someone who already has experience of working in coalitions or in the not-for-profit sector - whether in the UK charity sector or elsewhere - and who will be at ease regularly communicating with other organisations and facilitating meetings which can have multiple organisations in attendance. We need someone who recognises and understands the value of civil society groups collaborating effectively, and is good communicator comfortable working with stakeholders at multiple levels.

You will update and ensure the delivery of the advocacy strategy for the campaign, leading regular calls with coalition partners, so it’s crucial that you’re comfortable with and enjoy collaborative work with others. You’ll drive forward our engagement with policy makers, thinking up strategies for engagement and potential approaches. You will be supported by a team and engaged Board, as well as coalition partners, but will be encouraged to take ownership of your areas of work and develop proposals for action.